Clamp for surgical purpose, preferably for holding together fabrics serving to limit an operation field

ABSTRACT

A clamping device for surgical purposes has for its object to hold together fabrics which are intended to expose an operation field and comprising a plastic construction having a web portion and a central tongue extending mainly perpendicularly therefrom as well as side tongues at each side of the central tongue, said side tongues being movable towards each other and provided with locking means for arresting the side tongues in their effective position in which said side tongues together with said central tongue clamp the fabric material.

United States- Patent Wannag Jan. 21, 1975 1 CLAMP FOR SURGICAL PURPOSE, 3,082,733 3/1963 Renstrom =1 al 24/259110 PREFERABLY FOR HO m TOGETHER 3,310,053 3/1967 Greenwood 128/132 R X PRES SERVING To AN 12323138 311333 91332177331133:13::11111112133912??? OPERATION FIELD 3.733.359 6/1973 Lindquist 123/132 D 1 i 1 l l lnventor: Arne T. Wannag, Palnasvagen 11A,

13300. Slatsjobaden, Sweden Filed: Apr. 5, 1973 Appl. No.: 348,009

Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 5. 1972 Switzerland ..4347/72 US. Cl 24/255 P, 128/132 D int. Cl. A441) 21/00, A611" 13/00 Field of Search 128/346, 354, 325, 132 R, 128/132 D; 24/255. 259. DIG. 9, 67.9, 73

LF. 137 R, 138, 259 A; 132/46 R. 48 A References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Patten 24/259 A McSpadden et al. 24/137 R X Zore1 132/46 R Pereny et a1 128/132 D Primary Examiner-Donald A. Griffin Attorney. Agent. or Firm Ulle C. Linton [57] ABSTRACT A clamping device for surgical purposes has for its object to hold together fabrics which are intended to expose an operation field and comprising a plastic construction having a web portion and a central tongue extending mainly perpendicularly therefrom as well as side tongues at each side of the central tongue, said side tongues being movable towards each other and provided with locking means for arresting the side tongues in their effective position in which said side tongues together with said central tongue clamp the fabric material.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures CLAMP FOR SURGICAL PURPOSE, PREFERABLY FOR HOLDING TOGETHER FABRICS SERVING TO LIMIT AN OPERATION FIELD In surgery the operation field is most frequently surrounded by fabrics which by means of surgical clamps are held together to form a square or rectangular opening therebetween. These clamps are usually in the shape of tonglike assemblies the branches of which having curved ends terminating in sharp points which are intended to penetrate the fabric material. As the end of one branch is located at a somewhat bigger distance from the pivot point of the clamp than the corresponding end of the other branch the points will overlap each other thereby assuring an effective securing of the fabric parts relative to each other. In order to secure the branches in their effective position the operating parts of the branches are provided with cooperating locking devices.

These conventional clamps are well suited for their purpose but are disadvantageous in certain respects. The most serious disadvantage depends upon the fact that the sharp points of the branches penetrate the close-meshed fabric material and thereby damage it.

As the fabrics used for this purpose may not have any holes they have to be carefully mended between every use. This is however a very expensive operation. The clamps are made from stainless steel and they are thus expensive, heavy and bulky.

The main purpose of the invention is to obtain a clamp which effectively secures such fabrics relative to each other without penetrating the fabric material and which may be manufactured at very low costs so that it may. be thrown away after use. To obtain these and other purposes the new clamp is carried out according to the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. I is a diagrammatical view of a conventional arrangement of operation fabrics. the fabrics being held together by means of surgical clamps.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clamp according to the invention. r

In the drawing the numerals I-4 generally designate four fabrics which are arranged in such a manner that they expose a rectangular operation field. In order to secure the fabrics in this position clamps. generally designated S, are arranged in the corners as clearly appears from FIG. I. p

The new clamp shown in FIG. 2 consists of a part which preferably is made from a plastic material having resilient properties and which has a web portion 6 from which extends two branches or side tongues 7a. 7b which in their normal position are mainly parallel. One of these side tongues 70 has in its free end a portion 8 which is directed towards the second side tongue and which forms a recess 9, the extension of which in a direction towards said second tongue exceeds the corresponding width of the second tongue 7b and which is limited by an undercut or hookshaped ed e II). The depth of the recess corresponds to the wall t lcltness of the tongue 7b. Projecting from the web portion 6 is also a central tongue II which in its entirity or in part thereof lies in a higher level than the side tongues 7a, 7b. This central tongue constitutes in its free end an obliquely cut surface I2. In order to make the side tongues pivotable towards each other the clamp may be provided with rounded openings I3. The central tongue 11 may have approximately the same width as the width ofthe opening 14 which is generated between the side tongues. Depending upon the construction of the central tongue this one may have a width which may be less than or bigger than the width of the opening 14 as will appear from the following description of the function of the clamp.

When the fabrics I have been arranged for instance as shown in FIG. I the clamps are adapted in the corners by being pushed over the fabric parts and with the side tongues above the fabric and the central tongue below the same. The side tongues are then in their spread-apart position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. A certain clamping action is then obtained. When the clamps are in position the side tongue 7b is swung in the direction of the arrow until its end portion may be introduced in the recess 9. Owing to the resiliency of the material the tongue 7b tends to return to its initial position but as its outer edge is obliquely cut or stepped at IS in the same manner as the edge 10 of the recess the tongue is instead fixed in its locked position relative to the side tongue 70. As a consequence of the swinging movement of the side tongue 7b towards the tongue the tongues have been moved towards each other and the width of the opening 14 has consequently been diminished. As the central tongue and the side tongues are so constructed and arranged relative to each other that the fabric just can pass through the tongues in question it is obvious that the movement of the tongue 7b towards the tongue 70 results in a clamping action upon the fabric between the side tongues and the central tongue. This clamping action is sufficient for effectively holding the fabric parts together. It is also possible to make the tongue II somewhat narrower than the width of the opening l4 in which case some part of said central tongue extends downwardly into the opening. The clamping action will then occur between the edge portion of the central tongue and the inner edge portion of the side tongues 70. 7b. The centrally disposed tongue may however have a part which is as wide or even wider than the opening. In this case this wider part has to be located above the opening 14. In the foregoing it has been presumed that the tongues have the same width along their entire length but this is not necessary. The central tongue may for instance have a width which diminishes towards its free end and the inner edges of the side tongues are in this case preferably shaped in the same manner which of course also may be the case for the outer edges of said side tongues. As appears from FIG. 2 the central tongue II is preferably curved and is made more resistant against bending than the side tongues 70. 7b. The clamp may also be provided with integral means for holding flexible tubes or similar objects.

I claim:

I. Clamp for surgical purposes. preferably for holding together fabrics serving to limit an operating field. comprising a generally planar part made from a resilient material such as plastics and having a web portion. a central tongue extending therefrom and two side tongues also extending from said web portion in the same direction as said tongue. said side tongues being located in such sideways proximity to said central tongue that the fabric material may pass through the spaces thus obtained. said side tongues being longer than said central tongue and having their free ends located at a predetermined distance from each other, said side tongues being further resilient so as to enable their free ends to be moved towards each other, said side tongues being also provided at their ends with locking means for arresting said side tongues in a position in which they are brought near to each other and in approximately the same plane in which they originally were. the tolerances between said central tongue and said side tongues being such that said fabric material will be clamped between the adjacent edges of said central tongue and said side tongues when said ends of said side tongues are brought near to each other.

2. Clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central tongue is curved.

3. Clamp as claimed in'claim I wherein said central tongue is dimensioned to have a bigger resistance against bending than said side tongues.

4. Clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said side tongues near to its free end has a recess the depth of which approximately corresponds to the wall thickness of the second side tongue and the extension of which in direction towards said second tongue exceeds the width of a corresponding part of said second tongue. said recess terminating in a hook-shaped portion whereat the second side tongue has a correspondingly shaped edge portion for'cooperation with said hook-shaped portion of said first tongue and said portions constituting a locking device for holding said side tongues in their effective clamping position.

i i Q i t 

1. Clamp for surgical purposes, preferably for holding together fabrics serving to limit an operating field, comprising a generally planar part made from a resilient material such as plastics and having a web portion, a central tongue extending therefrom and two side tongues also extending from said web portion in the same direction as said tongue, said side tongueS being located in such sideways proximity to said central tongue that the fabric material may pass through the spaces thus obtained, said side tongues being longer than said central tongue and having their free ends located at a predetermined distance from each other, said side tongues being further resilient so as to enable their free ends to be moved towards each other, said side tongues being also provided at their ends with locking means for arresting said side tongues in a position in which they are brought near to each other and in approximately the same plane in which they originally were, the tolerances between said central tongue and said side tongues being such that said fabric material will be clamped between the adjacent edges of said central tongue and said side tongues when said ends of said side tongues are brought near to each other.
 2. Clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central tongue is curved.
 3. Clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central tongue is dimensioned to have a bigger resistance against bending than said side tongues.
 4. Clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said side tongues near to its free end has a recess the depth of which approximately corresponds to the wall thickness of the second side tongue and the extension of which in direction towards said second tongue exceeds the width of a corresponding part of said second tongue, said recess terminating in a hook-shaped portion whereat the second side tongue has a correspondingly shaped edge portion for cooperation with said hook-shaped portion of said first tongue and said portions constituting a locking device for holding said side tongues in their effective clamping position. 